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“While Radney Foster is no stranger to the country charts, both on his own and with the duo Foster & Lloyd, there’s not much Music City/Nash Vegas gloss on Everything I Should Have Said. Foster’s songs are essentially country, but are charged with crackling Louisiana flavors and wiry, rootsy-rock a la The Band. Foster’s voice has a plainspoken quality akin to that of the late Levon Helm.” –Icon Magazine
“Like the songs of [Townes] Van Zandt, Foster’s music doesn’t jump up and down, wear fancy clothes, or beat around the bush. And like Van Zandt, Foster’s always trying to find that little piece of truth.” –Charleston City Paper

Radney Foster releases vinyl edition of the critically-acclaimed Everything I Should Have Said with Bonus tracks Available for Pre-order Today In Stores June 9

Radney Foster will release the vinyl edition of his critically-acclaimed 2014 album Everything I Should Have Said, featuring three bonus tracks, on June 9. It is available now for pre-order on his website radneyfoster.com.
“I’m always trying to find a little piece of the truth,” says the Texas born and bred singer-songwriter. With Everything I Should Have Said, the truth is laid bare.

The two disc collector’s vinyl set contains bonus tracks, including the moving “No Me Preguntes,” “Something I Can’t Shake” and an acoustic reprise of the title track.

“No Me Preguntes” was born from Radney’s involvement in Songwriting With: Soldiers. “I wrote it with three veterans, one from the Vietnam era, and two from Afghanistan and Iraq,” says Foster. “They were all Latino, and I’m bilingual from growing up on the Mexican border. I knew if we wrote in Spanish, it might help them open up more, and reach a deeper place.”

“I asked them what was most difficult about coming back. They all agreed: ‘When civilians ask stupid questions, like ‘did you kill anybody?’ War is a nasty piece of business, and people don’t really want to know. These guys went and did their job, but it’s a hard job, and it’s not something they casually talk about.

I just said, ‘No me preguntes, (‘don’t ask me’), and it went from there. The English translation is: ‘Don’t ask me anything/Anything about the war/Don’t ask about what happened/I don’t want to lie anymore.’ We wrote it in both Spanish and English, and I knew I wanted it be Conjunto. That style of music was really born out to the northern Mexico/Texas Latino experience.”

The other new song on the collection is home studio recording of “Something I Can’t Shake,” a haunting highway lament he wrote with Bill Anderson. “Bill is a master lyricist. We’ve been threatening to write together for about ten years. Last year, he was hosting the Grand Ole Opry segment I was on, and mentioned on the air that we needed to write together. I said, ‘OK, all these people are my witness. We’re gonna find a date just as soon as I get off the stage.’”

The remaining tracks on Everything I Should Have Said were recorded at Dockside Studios, a little pocket of soul alongside the Louisiana bayou. The space is the site of a long-forgotten brothel, and far from the sterile studios of Nashville.

The sonic difference is evident right from the first track, “Whose Heart You Wreck (Ode To The Muse)” “The song is about the crazy struggle of inspiration, and we recorded it using a bunch of found objects,” Foster says. “The drum kit was made up of trashcans, a piece of angle iron, and a big gear plate.” Listening to the track, you can imagine the floor-creaking business that once took place upstairs.

Songs like “California” and “Holding Back” also benefit from the introspection of recording at a remote spot, while the late night groove is evident on “Hard Light of Day,” and “Unh, Unh, Unh.”

Co-producer Justin Tocket encouraged Radney to dig deep. The recordings were magic—fun, loose and lasting late into the night. Foster and Tocket intentionally chose not to over polish, preferring to keep the sweat and tears on the tracks.

Case in point, the album’s title track and closer, “Everything I Should Have Said,” which Foster calls the emotional centerpiece of the record. The song and performance are breathtakingly intimate, like he cracked his heart wide open for all to see, and yet somehow the sentiment is universal. The song is an unflinching apology for things done and left undone.

Considered an elder statesman of Texas singer-songwriters, Foster has been a friend and mentor to many younger artists on the Texas scene. He’s written and produced songs for and with Randy Rogers, Jack Ingram, Kacey Musgraves, Wade Bowen, Josh Abbott, Pat Green, Cory Morrow and many others. His songs are regularly mined by superstar acts like Keith Urban (“Raining on Sunday,” “I’m In,”), Sara Evans (“Real Fine Place,” “Revival”) and the Dixie Chicks (“Godspeed”).

Foster grew up in two worlds – herding cattle on horseback at his grandfather’s East Texas ranch in the summers and hunkering over a transistor radio in West Texas hometown, listening to border radio. That hybrid of influences may be why Foster’s always been tough to categorize; his first success was with the seminal country/cowpunk duo Foster & Lloyd, whose first single, “Crazy Over You,” went straight to No. 1. His subsequent solo albums told tales through a honky tonk lens and yielded enduring hits “Just Call Me Lonesome” and “Nobody Wins.”

In the mid-90s, Foster went through another turning point. In the midst of a divorce, remarriage and custody crisis of his young son moving overseas, he gave up trying to please country radio and recorded 1999’s See What You Want To See, an album that brought him to a whole other audience. Since then he has released Americana standards Are You Ready for the Big Show? (2001), Another Way to Go (2002), This World We Live In (2006), Revival (2009), and Del Rio TX Revisited: Unplugged and Lonesome (2012). Foster reunited with Bill Lloyd in 2011 to release Foster and Lloyd’s fourth album, It’s Already Tomorrow.

Throughout his 30 year career, Foster has continuously stretched the boundaries. “I strive to challenge myself as a writer, a musician and a singer everyday.” As his voice has deepened and grown richer, so, it seems, has his focus. These are the songs of a full-grown man, who long ago left fear by the side of the road.

Country Music legend singer songwriter Radney Foster will highlight this year’s lineup of the Alvin Live Summer Concert Series.

Foster will take the stage at the K-219 studio on July 9 at 7:30 p.m. Classic rock band LC Roots will start off this year’s series on June 11. The Pee Wee Bowen Band will close the series on August 13.

“We’ve got a great combination of concerts this year that we hope will offer something that fits everyone’s musical tastes,” ACC Communications chair Bill Lewis said. “The chance to see them in a small venue like this is really special. “

Foster has scored several top 40 hits on the Billboard Charts throughout his career including Nobody Wins, Labor of Love, Hammer and Nails, Just Call Me Lonesome and Easier Said Than Done. He has sold nearly half a million copies of his debut album, Del Rio, TX 1959.

“He has influenced so many Texas and Nashville artists through the years with both his writing and his singing,” Lewis said. “The term troubadour gets tossed around when people talk about Radney as an artist – and that’s a perfect fit for him because he’s the quintessential story teller.”

As a songwriter, his music has been recorded by several singers such as Gary Allan, Sara Evans, Keith Urban, the Dixie Chicks and Jack Ingram.

“Lots of artists have covered his songs and made hits out of them ,” Lewis said. “But it’s so powerful to hear those same songs come from the man that wrote the lyrics. It gives them a new depth because you sense the human spirit and emotion even stronger.”

LC Roots performs a wide variety of music including classic rock, oldies, country, bluegrass and R&B. They have played at many local venues in the Houston and Galveston area since the late 1970s. Band members are Faron Daigle (guitars and vocals), Preston Demeritt (guitars, banjo, mandolin, steel, vocals), Randy Wills (vocals, bass guitar, bass fiddle), Greg Dick (drums) and Gene Bartkiewicz (piano, accordion, organ, vocals).

The Pee Wee Bowen Band is another local group that performs at several local venues. Pee Wee Bowen has been singing and playing for more than 50 years in the Houston area.

The Summer Concert Series is sponsored by the ACC Foundation. Funds raised from Alvin Live performances are used for ACC Broadcast Communications student training and scholarships.

Since 2011, the ACC Live series has used the studio setting for its productions on 89.7 FM and KACC-TV, Cable Access Channel 16. The studio can seat 65 guests. When it’s not used for public and private events, ACC students work in K-219 to gain experience in television and radio broadcasting.

The concert provides fans with an opportunity to experience the music in an intimate setting. After the concert, fans will have the opportunity to take pictures and obtain autographs.

Tickets for the Radney Foster concert will be $125 and $1,000 for a reserved table of four. Refunds are not available. Tickets for the LC Roots and Pee Wee Bowen Band concerts are $40 or $250 for a table of four.

Doors for all concerts will open at 7 p.m. Appetizers and adult beverages will be provided.

Radney Foster will be honored next month at the “Artists’ Tribute to a Legend” event at the 30th Annual MusicFest in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The premiere event, presented by Dickson Productions, brings together a vibrant community of artists and fans to celebrate legendary songwriters, established artists and promising up and comers in the Texas Country and Americana scenes.

The “MusicFest Artists’ Tribute to a Legend” is one of MusicFest’s most anticipated shows where artists pay homage to the honoree for his accomplishments, the standard he has set in his genre and the influence he has had on the current music scene. Past honorees include Robert Earl Keen, Dean Dillon, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Billy Joe Shaver, Lee Ann Womack, Guy Clark, Johnny Gimble and Family, Leon Russell, Kevin Welch, Rodney Crowell, Townes Van Zandt and Lost Gonzo Band.

The position that Radney Foster enjoys in the music landscape is nothing short of remarkable. Mainstream country music and independent Americana tend to occupy separate orbits. Yet for the past three decades Foster has thrived in both as a songwriter, recording artist, live performer and producer. His songs—solo, with Foster and Lloyd and recorded by other artists—have topped the country, Texas and AAA charts alike. At the same time, he’s earned the respect of his peers and a devoted audience as intent on listening as they are eager to dance. … Continue Reading

Songwriters Write Out Lyrics to Help Raise Funds for School, Well Child Clinic, and Women’s Social Enterprise

An assortment of lyrics for hit songs handwritten by the songwriters who wrote them will be up for auction on eBay to benefit the major project of the Center for Contemplative Justice (CCJ) Ecuador, in San Eduardo, Ecuador . The auction begins on Saturday, November 8, at 8:30 PM/CT and runs until Friday, Nov. 14 at 8:30 PM/CT. 100% of the proceeds will go to the project. Once the auction goes live, buyers can find the lyrics easily –just enter the item number of the lyric you want to bid on in the ebay search site.

“After my mother-in-law’s death in 1988, a school was founded in a rural community of Ecuador and named for her– Escuela Anne Stevens,” said Marcus Hummon, Grammy-award winning songwriter and husband of Rev. Becca Stevens, founder of CCJ. “Since opening the school, a well child clinic and a women’s social enterprise have also been established to create lasting changes in the community. Several years ago, we dug the only functioning well for the community.”

Hummon’s wife is also Chaplain of St. Augustine’s at Vanderbilt University, founder of Thistle Farms & Magdalene, and author. Rev. Stevens adds, “We are grateful to the songwriters who donated lyrics to this campaign. These songs powerfully connect us to each other, to places and memories that move us, in joy or in sorrow. Whether it is a country road or a broken road, they remind us that between heaven and earth it’s all sacred ground.”
These lyrics are all signed by at least one of the songwriters (co-writers and recording artists are also named but did not sign unless so indicated):

“Angel Flight” Written by Radney Foster and Darden Smith Recorded by Radney Foster Signed by Radney Foster Ebay item number: 331362510470
“Homegrown Honey”
Written by Darius Rucker
Recorded by Darius Rucker
Signed by Darius Rucker
Ebay item number: 331362501504

“Stealing Cinderella”
Written by Chuck Wicks
Recorded by Chuck Wicks
Signed by Chuck Wicks
Ebay item number: 331360481073

“Make It Love”
Written by Marcus and Levi Hummon and Andrew Dorff
Recorded by The Hummons
Signed by Levi and Marcus Hummon
Ebay item number: 331363243328

“Bless the Broken Road”
Written by Marcus Hummon, Jeff Hanna, and Bobby Boyd
Recorded by Rascal Flatts
Signed by Marcus Hummon
Ebay item number: 331363263438

“Sam Stone”
Written by John Prine
Recorded by John Prine (1971) and by Johnny Cash (2005)
Signed by John Prine

“We Will Stand”
Written by Russ Taff, Victoria Taff, and James Houlihan
Handwritten and to be signed by Russ Taff
Ebay item number: 331362481882

For more information on the Center for Contemplative Justice, please visit http://www.staugustineschapel.org/ministries/center-for-contemplative-justice/.
For more information on the auction, please visit/contact: lynne.mcfarland@vanderbilt.edu

The “CMA SONGWRITERS SERIES” will celebrate its 10-year anniversary at JOE’S PUB in NEW YORK CITY on WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3rd and THURSDAY DECEMBER 4th. Show times for both nights are 6:30p and 9p (ET). Featured songwriters include host BOB DiPIERO, RADNEY FOSTER, BRETT JAMES, and CRAIG WISEMAN. Tickets for the event are $40 and $35 each and are on sale now. For more information, visit www.joespub.com

Radney is celebrating the release of his new single “California” with a sweepstakes to bring a lucky winner and a guest to the Golden State. Grand prize includes roundtrip airfare, two nights hotel at the River Terrace Inn in Napa (November 21-22), ground transportation in Napa, private winery tours, an exclusive meet and greet and VIP tickets to Radney’s show at the City Winery in Napa November 22.

Must be 21 to enter, reside in the US and be able to travel November 21-23, 2014. Click here to enter!

Courtesy – MySSNews.com
In a stroke of genius, singer/songwriter Radney Foster has managed to write something special for the women in his life – his muse, his wife, his daughter and his ex-wife. As crazy as it sounds, the girls love their songs on “Something I Should Have Said,” (May 13, Devil’s River Records). Well, at least the real girls.

And, if we could summon his muse, I’ll bet she’d agree this is some of the best work of Foster’s rich, long career.

The first cut, “Whose Heart You Wreck,” chronicles the ups and downs between an artist and his inspiration – the muse.
“It’s about my struggle with her,” Foster said during a telephone interview from his Nashville home. “She causes me to be late for a dinner party and to stay up until three in the morning.” … Continue Reading

To record his first album of original material since 2009, Radney Foster traveled to Dockside Studios in Lafayette, Louisiana, a converted whorehouse lacking modern amenities. Working alongside musicians he’s collaborated with during his two plus decades making music, Foster has crafted some of the most personal work of his career.

As a result, Everything I Should’ve Said radiates with rejuvenated energy from an artist roaring with passion and contemplating sizable ache. The rough edginess producer Justin Tocket brings to the proceedings displays a palpable urgency, even if the slightly dusty dirt penetrating the tracks comes off a little heavy-handed at times.

Self-penned stunner “Whose Heart You Wreck (Ode To The Muse),” which opens the album, finds Foster tipsy and ravished at the mercy of creativity, and not the hands of a woman: “You saunter in at 2 am and whisper poetry.Sensuous, whiskey-soaked and breathless next to me.You’ll sneak out before the dawn, but what should I expect? ‘Cause you don’t really give a damn whose heart you wreck.” That thematic twist is a stroke of brilliance and turns what could’ve been just an average heartbreaker into something far deeper and more impactful. … Continue Reading